NGV Global

One of the most important activities undertaken by IANGV in recent years has been the promotion of the harmonization of international standards for the natural gas vehicle (NGV) industry.

Global bodies such as United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are working actively  towards harmonization of standards. This is because the cost of non-harmonized standards is a considerable burden on various industries including the NGV industry. For NGVs, this is particularly a problem at the moment due to the differences  between UNECE Regulation 110* and ISO Standards 15500 (Fuel System Components)  and 15501 Road Vehicles – Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Systems, which deal with the equipment and installation of CNG in vehicles.*

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The following comment item was first published in European Voice Magazine in May of this year.

Liquid biofuels – ethanol and ‘biodiesel’ – have captured the worldwide and European fascination as renewable energy for the transport sector but the tide seems to be turning now that people are realizing the inherent challenges of leaping into a liquid biofuels policy in the absence of adequate consideration of the down-stream results. 

Faced with questions about the impacts on food chain products and prices, changes in land use and deforestation at the hands of liquid biofuels producers, the European Parliament, in the Fuel Quality Directive and the Renewable Resource Directive, is now struggling with a hard reality of the March 2007 EU policy to replace 10% of transport sector petroleum with renewable biofuels by 2020:  Can there be a legislative definition of ‘sustainable’ biofuels: a distinction between ‘good’ renewable  biofuels and those that have negative environmental effects and higher social costs than ordinary petrol and diesel?  If not, the next question is, can the 10% renewable challenge be fulfilled without getting into the cloudy issue of sustainability?  The answer to the first question is, “Probably not.”  The answer to the second question is, “Definitely, yes,” but a change of focus is required.

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NGV Bus Audit Participation Invited

There have been many items in NGV Global over the last few months concerning heavy duty natural gas vehicles, particularly buses.  For instance, last week there was an article on Los Angeles County Metro, North America’s third largest public transportation system which has placed an order for 260 lightweight NGV buses with options for an additional 740 to follow.  Secondly there has been an item about the very well known and publicized NGV bus program in Delhi.  Buses and auto rickshaws were required to convert to CNG in a program that has been running for 10 years.  The Indian Government has issued a report showing that while the number of vehicles on the road has doubled, pollution has halved.  A search of NGV Global produces 94 items involving buses in all parts of the world.

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USA

This item was first published in the Wall St Journal

My Plan to Escape the Grip of Foreign Oil

One of the benefits of being around a long time is that you get to know a lot about certain things.  I’m 80 years old and I’ve been an oilman for almost 60 years.  I’ve drilled more dry holes and also found more oil than just about anyone in the industry.  With all my experience, I’ve never been as worried about our energy security as I am now.  Like many of us, I ignored what was happening.  Now our country faces what I believe is the most serious situation since World War II. The problem, of course, is our growing dependence on foreign oil – it’s extreme, it’s dangerous, and it threatens the future of our nation.

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